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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. track — to keep track
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rest — a break
  5. cue — a signal
  6. last — to go on
  7. cue — for pool
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. last — finally
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bass — the fish
  13. track — a song
  14. last — final
  15. track — a path
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — decided
  18. cue — a hint
  19. firm — a company
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bass — low music
  24. wax — in the ear

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com